Are you willing to 'burn the ships'?

A thread about 'going all in'

From time to time it is noted how many accounts gung-ho on taking on the world only a few weeks ago have quietly faded away.

Why does that happen?

Is it a lack of motivation? Discipline? Attitude?

Are they natural quitters?

Maybe. Or maybe there is a simpler reason...

Maybe the real problem is

... they didn't 'burn their ships'

History buffs may be getting ahead of me. But for the rest of you, that phrase might not mean much.

It's simple, really...

Captain Hernán Cortés in 1519,
and possibly Tariq Ibn Ziyad in 711 (disputed)

Crossed an ocean and landed with their forces in hostile territory.

How do you keep an army in that situation from losing heart, turning tail, or leading a mutiny?

Go all in.

Burn the ships

Here's the 'why should I care' moment.

Remember those missing accounts we mentioned?

They:

-got busy.
-became disinterested.
-didn't see the results they wanted.

Those are NOT the reasons they quit. They are just the symptoms.

The real reason?

Their ships never burned

They left themselves the option to retreat and surrender rather than push through until they succeeded.

That doesn't just apply to exploration, battles, or Twitter accounts

It applies to anything new you take on.

- Diet
- Habit
- Learned skill
- Relationship
- Income Stream